Poll finds public thinks drug companies have more influence in Washington than NRA

Although hundreds of thousands of Americans are expected to march Saturday to demand that lawmakers reduce gun violence, the National Rifle Association is not the most influential heavyweight in the public’s eyes,according to a new survey.

Pharmaceutical companies are viewed as having more clout in Washington, according to a poll released Friday by the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation.

While 52% of those surveyed this month said the NRA has too much influence in Washington, 72% said the same thing of drugmakers.

One reason for the difference is — unlike gun control and many other issues — the price of pharmaceuticals is not a partisan issue.

Eight in 10 Americans think drug costs are unreasonable. And large majorities of both Republicans and Democrats say lawmakers from their own parties aren’t doing enough to bring those costs down, the survey found.

So it’s perhaps not surprising that 65% of Democrats and 74% of Republicans said drug companies’ clout is too high.

By contrast, 73% of Democrats but only 21% of Republicans said the NRA has too much influence.

The only other player tested in the poll seen as having more influence than pharmaceutical companies was “large businesses” in general.

Respondents had a good reason for thinking medicine costs too much.

Americans spend $1,443 on prescription drugs per person compared to an average of $749 in other wealthy countries, according to a recent analysis published by the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The study found that higher prices for drugs, doctors and administrative costs are the main reason the United States spends by far the most on health care — with worse health results.

But only about four in 10 respondents told the Kaiser Family Foundation they’re confident President Trump’s administration will deliver on Trump’s promise of lowering drug prices. They’re more confident Trump will sign legislation improving infrastructure, reforming immigration or repealing the Affordable Care Act.

Still, more than half (52%) called tackling the issue a high priority for Trump and Congress. That topped other issues including improving infrastructure (45%), addressing the epidemic of prescription pain killers (42%), passing legislation to let undocumented immigrants brought to the country as children stay in the U.S. (38%), repealing Obamacare (28%), or building a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico (20%).

Beyond drug prices, partisan differences remain on other health care issues. While a majority of both Democrats and independents favor a national health plan, or a “Medicare for all” system,” only about one-third of Republicans do. But 64% of Republicans approve of the idea if it’s framed as an option for those who want it, while other forms of insurance coverage remain.

Few voters of any stripe, however, say a candidate’s position on a national health plan will be the most important factor in deciding who to support during this year’s midterm elections.

The poll was conducted from March 8-13. The margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points.